Bush to ignore the Dems

[Ficus]

<snip>
President Bush will try to remain above the political fray for longer than usual leading up to next year's election because of what his handlers see as a significant "stature gap" between Mr. Bush and his challengers.

"People might not always agree with the president, but they see him as a strong, principled leader and they respect him for that," the source added. "Having him — or his official spokesmen or even his campaign — responding to, you know, Howard Dean, would reduce that stature."

<snip>

http://washingtontimes.com/national/20031211-114739-4969r.htm

The ARROGANCE of these folks...wow.

[lancdem]

1. Actually, most incumbents do that

Clinton did the same thing.

[K-W]

12. Yep, exactly

this is nothing new or special, as president he has more stature going into things, he will wait until his opponant fights his way up into a higher level of public knowledge before he begins to address him. If bush got involved now, hed be handling the democrats free publicity.

[Ficus]

21. I see the point

and I remember Clinton doing this. BUT, I think Clinton was strategic about it, as in I don't think he thought he was "above Dole" or anything.

The Bush people give the impression that they believe he is far above politics, like an emperor or monarch. (well he was appointed) I think they actually believe they are "above" Howard Dean.

[Roon]

2. Does this mean ignoring the debates too? n/t

[SeveneightyWhoa]

16. My guess would be "YES".

Dontcha know? Bush is too much of a leader and deep thinker to be caught dead debating someone of lower stature than him. Also, he can't participate in any presidential debates because he'll be too busy protecting the country from terra-ists, duh!

[Red_Viking]

3. Rampant hubris

They are architecting their own demise. I say, give 'em some more rope!

Whoever gets the Dem nomination has rich and fertile material to work with. They need to offer a solution to the neverending fascism we see stretching out before us. So many people are disillusioned; they need a reason to get out and vote, they need to believe someone can beat *, and they need to be motivated.

The next year will be very, very interesting!

:dem:

RV

[tom_paine]

7. I think they know the fix is in

Between the Florida 2000 plan exported elsewhere, the corrupt "absentee ballot strategy", and now Diebold Touchscreen Stalin machines, I think the Busheviks know that the Emperor can't "lose".

Sad but true...though we must do all we can to make it NOT so...

[Skittles]

10. yup

that is EXACTLY what it is. Come hell or high water, they will make sure that scumbag is re-installed.

[YNGW]

8. comment

>to the neverending fascism

Any thought that wording such as this could paint the candidate and his supporters as less than stable?

They may not be the only ones "architecting their own demise."

[HFishbine]

4. Great! That's perfect!

Yes, most incumbents do the same, but in Bush's case they are misoverestimating his "stature." This won't work for Bush, but the longer they delay head-to-head competition, the better for us.

[mmonk]

5. spin

garbage

[Catherine Vincent]

6. Strong and principled MY ASS!

So for Bush* or any of his henchmen responding to any of the nine democrats reduces his perceived stature?

Give me a motherfucking break!

[chiburb]

9. You still have time to edit "bastards" from your post...

Or the thread will be locked.
On topic:
What do you expect from the Moonie Times?

[Ficus]

13. thanks.

Didn't even realize I had typed that.

[Ficus]

20. youre right

the Washington Times isn't exactly the most "fair and balanced" newspaper. However the comments by the Bush people about "sinking to the level of people like Howard Dean" sound pretty damn arrogant.

[Armstead]

11. Democrats are already campaigning for Bush

Bush aint a dummy. They know that the Democrats will eat our own, so he doesn't have to say a word.

The Democratoic nominees and the "strategists" like Carville are saying all the things Bush would be saying. "Howard Dean will be anotehr McGovern because he is too far left and has no experience."

In all fairness, the Dean camp is doing its share of this too.

[Ficus]

19. all camps are

all candidates are doing this. It's politics. They all want the nomination, and running a nationwide campagin is for high stakes. No one wants to lose, and thinks they are the best candidate.

The last debate was a LOT better though, IMO.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

24. What the heck are you talking about? You do realize that this is...

...the campaign for the Democratic Party Nomination, don't you? Why would this be any different from any other political campaign?

IMHO, whoever comes out of this process will be battle-tested and ready to go. The more the winning candidate's weaknesses are exposed now, the better prepared he or she will be to strengthen those perceived flaws before the REAL campaigning begins.

Why don't you give it a rest until the nomination is completed at the Democratic Party Convention?

I have a newsflash for you...the Chimpster is currently being seen as slightly more "compassionate conservative" then Hitler, and that perceived gap is narrowing with each passing day. But the Democrats aren't the ones driving him into that corner, are they?

[Parche]

14. bush

He ignores people in the US, why not add the democrats to his ignorant

[Doctor_J]

15. He ignores everything

death in Iraq, job losses, Anthrax killers, domestic terrorism, Afghanistan, the environment, OBL, and on and on. THis doesn't make us very special.

[ShimokitaJer]

17. We can help this backfire on him

Unlike most sitting presidents, Bush has sat back and allowed his "underlings" to do most of the hard talking to the public. He has held far fewer press conferences than his predecessors, and I have heard the topic raised in less-than-liberal forums that Bush puts Rumsfeld and Rice, Fleischer and McLellan on the front lines while he hides in the background. Every time he appears in public he seems to say something to alienate another segment of the population (better call my lawyers, anyone?). As time goes on, it will only get easier for us to push the idea that Bush is either dangerously arrogant or cowardly, neither of which plays well in middle America. In addition, ads from supposedly independent conservative groups will correctly be viewed as orchestrated by Bush himself, (the recent ad appeared in the press not as the Club for Growth targetting Dean, but as Bush targetting Dean) and he's not going to be able to distance himself from the more radical elements in the party. Finally, we need to demand that no candidate agrees to the ridiculous restrictions on the debate format that turned the 2000 Bush-Gore debates into such jokes (no addressing the other candidate? WTF?). All Bush has is his perceived down home common man appeal, and if he can be revealed as the cowardly opportunist that he is, the house of cards will fall.

**Bonus points for making him really lose his shit on TV.

[Ficus]

18. agreed

He handles all of his public speaking like a coward. He only seems to speak in public when his statement is prepared for him, and his ability to speak "off the cuff" really shows in his press conferences. I hope in a debate (if he will debate) he will be shown to be the hollow President he is.

[killbotfactory]

22. Bush: Vote for me, I'm the president!

Don't listen to those heretics.

[RogueTrooper]

23. He will just get the hired help to do the smearing

that is his usual modus operandi.

[dave29]

25. This will give us ample time

TO GET OUR MESSAGE OUT AND FRAME THE DEBATE :)